What is dementia?

The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that can include memory loss as well as difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language.

While these changes are often small to begin with, but for someone with dementia become severe enough to affect their day-to-day life.

Someone suffering with dementia may also exhibit changes in their mood or behaviour.

Dementia begins when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or a series of strokes.

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There is currently no cure for Pick's disease - but this doesn’t mean that there is no hope for patients

What is Pick’s disease?

Pick's disease specifically affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, unlike Alzheimers which affects the entire brain.

In frontotemporal dementia, the front and side parts of the brain are damaged over time when batches of abnormal proteins form inside nerve cells – causing them to die.What are the symptoms of Pick’s disease?

This loss of brain cells causes the affected parts of the brain to decrease in size, reducing brain function.

This process can be gradual meaning that Pick's disease is hard to diagnose in its early stages.

Changes in personality and behaviour may be the most obvious signs at first and depending on where the damage is, the person may have difficulties with their speech or meanings of words.

In Alzheimers sufferers the memory is usually the first to go but with Pick's disease it is the personality changes which are the first symptom.

The symptoms of Pick's disease

intense restlessness (an early symptom)

impulsiveness, poor judgement

changes in habits, such as overeating, craving unfamiliar foods, being rude when formerly polite

repetitive behaviour

inattention to personal hygiene

loss of sexual inhibition

aloofness from others; loss of interest in things around them

rapid mood changes

inability to remember words

loss of vocabulary

difficulty in speaking or understanding what others are saying

repeating what others say

loss of ability to read or write

memory loss

muscle stiffness

lack of coordination

general weakness

difficulty moving around (although in early stages roaming behaviour is common)